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If the Stormers somehow fail to either secure a home Super 14 semi-final or they fall out of the top four altogether, and it is just a log point that denies them, the defeats to the Brumbies and Western Force will be revisited by the critics.

Gavin Rich writes in the Cape Argus that in both those games, the Stormers lost close ones in the final five minutes.

In the Brumbies match it was less about losing it as committing suicide, for the pass that was intercepted for George Smith’s winning try should never have happened at that stage and in that part of the field.

Indeed, if you asked me if there is one area where the Stormers could be vulnerable as they go into a four-match sequence against mainly fellow semi-final contenders that will make or break their season, it is that they don’t boast experience of winning close games.

Yesterday some of the Reds players spoke about how their recent narrow win over the Chiefs in Hamilton had given them confidence to come through the tense final minutes against the Bulls.

The Bulls have frequently had to dig deep to win the close ones.

The Stormers don’t have that sort of experience to fall back on.

That they don’t is probably not their fault, for apart from the two games mentioned, they have simply just been too dominant in most of their games.

And anyone who wants to argue that point should just take cognisance of this freaky but highly impressive fact of the Stormers season as it stands right now – in not one match that the Stormers have won, have they allowed the opposition to get a bonus point.

That means that they have beaten every opponent by at least eight points, and of course the Blues last week were the only team that has managed to score more than two tries against them.

If you look at those facts you come to the conclusion that the Stormers shouldn’t be falling short. The figures say they are good enough to go all the way this year.

But if perchance they do fall short, for this last month is going to be frenetic as the top teams play one another, there is perhaps another factor apart from those two narrow losses which may come up in the post-mortem.

It is something that I will refer to as the South African derby factor.

It was spotlighted in a different context this week by Sharks coach John Plumtree as his team prepared for last night’s match against the Lions.

This column is being written before the game, and it might well be that you are reading this in the knowledge that the Sharks gave the Lions a good thumping and wrapped up the four-try bonus point before half-time.

Yet Plumtree was not thinking of bonus points during the week, all he wanted to do was win against the Lions, even if it was just by one point.

I don’t blame him, for SA Super 14 history is littered with instances where poor local teams became world beaters on the night they played their neigbhours.

Last year the Sharks were knocked out of contention by the Cheetahs.

As Plumtree says, derbies are somehow always different to the other games in the Super 14 – they are more physical, particularly among the forwards, the underdogs somehow manage to get themselves up for the game.

What it means is the top South African teams find it a lot harder to pick up full points against the likes of the Cheetahs and Lions than the overseas teams do.

The Hurricanes did lose to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein early in the competition, but what are the Cheetahs and Lions at this stage of the season to the top overseas teams if not walking bonus points?

The Lions did deny the Brumbies a bonus point in one of their early tour games, but otherwise, when it comes to the top overseas teams, the ones in contention for semi-final spots, it has been a case of open gates – “come and take your five log points”.

It had to happen when the Crusaders played the Cheetahs in Christchurch yesterday. There was almost no point in turning on the television to watch the game. It was the same the previous week in Canberra when the Brumbies were the benefactors, and when the Lions played the Crusaders and the Waratahs.

The way the Stormers are playing this season you would say they should have picked up four try bonuses against the Lions and Cheetahs with their eyes closed.

That they didn’t, came down to that peculiar South African trend of bringing the testosterone to the game against your neighbour but not against foreigners.

But I must say………….when i was looking for your name on the S14 pool to click on it I had to pass quite a few girls’ names on the way down to yours. The most notable of which was kette two spots above you.

@rekinek (Comment 15) : stormers are having a great game and having fun must say they are hungry for a S14 win but like all other games they play to get to the top 4 and loose in the semi but if sharks can’t make it me going for the stormers

Comment 39, posted at 19.04.10 08:45:23 by Chaz

@JarsonX (Comment 16) : if for some reason the stormers do make it to the semi’s aren’t you going to cheer them up or are you going for the Bulls or Troll team

this article is useless! Some of the things it suggests are stupid…the Reds lost their first game of the season against the Tahs in the 90th minute, then as the article suggests the won their game against the Chiefs by hanging on, then they lost to the sharks by 2 points and this weekend the closed out the game with the Bulle on the late charge….now how does gavin rich come to the conclusion that the Reds are far more adept than the Stormers at winning tight games?

Maybe the Stormers should purposefully take defensive naps in their games like the Sharks to allow their opposition to come back at them so that Gavin Rich can be convinced that they can close out tight games

Comment 56, posted at 19.04.10 11:31:28 by Megatron

@Megatron (Comment 56) : oh my, Megatron is back and an troll as ever
Now me Megatron write a post and lets see if you can up your think or are you going into hiding again

Comment 57, posted at 19.04.10 11:35:34 by Chaz

@Megatron (Comment 56) :
I have it on good authority that the only reason why the Sharks take “defensive naps” is to give you some hope and (false) joy over weekends.

@Farlington (Comment 60) : you can say that again but gee it was a good game from both sides

Comment 61, posted at 19.04.10 11:56:59 by Chaz

I think the Sharks could cause a few shock results and upset the Stormers and Bulls.

I hope we can beat you guys though!!

As for the Bulls, you have my blessing to by all means THRASH them!!!

Comment 62, posted at 19.04.10 12:00:18 by wpw

@wpw (Comment 62) : nope me friend
you must be carefull we don’t out run the lot of you win the bulls etc and take the S14 cup for ourselves eeeeaaaahhhh
But maybe just to late but one can dream can’t she

Comment 63, posted at 19.04.10 12:04:21 by Chaz

@wpw (Comment 62) : I don’t want to sound like a naysayer, but I doubt The Sharks has what it takes to beat the Stormers. Funny enough, I don’t feel the same about the Bulls vs Sharks game.

Comment 64, posted at 19.04.10 12:12:20 by Farlington

@Megatron (Comment 56) : I agree it’s a stupid way to think. So Mega many games do you think the Saders will win in SA?

Comment 65, posted at 19.04.10 12:22:25 by Pokkel

@Pokkel (Comment 65) : eish, it’s hard pokkles…cos my backline is still a bit of an issue for me, if carter is having a blinder, they come to the party but with his recent dismal form, all those kids fold very quickly…so i’m not over-confident about them but the should be close games with all the teams we will be playing…

Comment 66, posted at 19.04.10 12:32:10 by Megatron

@Salmonoid (Comment 58) : yeah right! You were probably near cardiac arrest on saturday as the lions were on ur 5m line, now you’re grootbek this morning…the sharks can’t even convincingly beat the lions who haven’t won a game the WHOLE year!

@Megatron (Comment 67) : 5th bonus point…4 of them for losing by 7 or less

Comment 69, posted at 19.04.10 12:44:36 by Pokkel

@Megatron (Comment 67) : I was near a heart attack but I think the Lions probably played their best game of the season so far against the Sharks and the Sharks butchered about 4 tries. It’s never easy being a Sharks supporter.

@wpw (Comment 71) : pathetic, schmathetic!!! Get over yourself and your “patriotism” issues. As if rugby in this country is being played & administered along fair lines and practises! It is none of you business why i support the Crusaders, worry yourself about your team and banter about rugby which i will gladly discuss with you…otherwise fallback with your supposed judgemental attitude!

@Megatron (Comment 66) : I don’t think you need to lose too much sleep over Carter’s form….his goal kicking has been well below par….but then again a few have. But his defensive work and kicking out of hand have been top notch.

Looking forward to seeing him kick at Loftus he loves it up there.

Carter is one of the few players in the world that can pin a side down.